US Coastguard resume search for missing sailors

The US Coastguard has says nothing has changed at this point in terms of their intentions to scale down the operation at 5am UK time. A friend of the families of the crew has said they have been at a meeting at the Foreign Office tonight and are aware of the news.

ITV News correspondent Rupert Evelyn is with families of the missing sailors.

Ships across the Atlantic are being called upon tonight to join the search for four local sailors - missing now for 6 days. Their yacht is believed to have capsized on their way back to Southampton.

Andrew Bridge from Farnham and James Male from Romsey are 2 of those missing. The search resumed last night after an official request from the UK Government, and pressure from the sailors' families in Surrey and Hampshire. Tonight the US Coastguard have given this update on the search.

Captain Anthony Popiel from the US Coastguard-

The families of the four missing sailors from the South, whose boat is believed to have capsized in the Atlantic Ocean, have said they are full of hope that their loved ones will be found.

Our reporter Kerry Swain, has been speaking to David Bridge, the father of Andrew Bridge. The missing 22 -year-old from Farnham, is the skipper of the Cheeki Rafiki yacht, which began to take on water on its way back home to Hampshire last week Thursday.

The US Coastguard will make a statement later today with on the search for missing yacht Cheeki Rafiki.

The briefing consist of an operational update and review of current search efforts.

An RAF Hercules has joined three other search and rescue aircraft in the hunt for the missing British sailors.

The aircraft are being coordinated with commercial and private shipping in the search area as the rescue effort enters a highly crucial period.

ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore has this report from Boston:

More: 2,878 square miles covered since sailors search resumed

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has defended the government's reaction to the emergency of the missing sailors in Atlantic.

He said:

Air crews searching for four missing British sailors in the Atlantic Ocean have so far covered 2878 square miles since the search resumed.

The mileage for the ships that are searching too is still being worked out.

As it stands, the following are out searching for the sailors:

• A US Coastguard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from North Carolina
• A 106th Rescue Wing US Air National Guard Crew from New York
• A Canadian military C-130 aircraft
• The 600-foot vessel Bow Flora
• The 672-foot vessel Premium Do Brasil
• The 477-foot vessel Chem Venus
• The 700-foot vessel Ampola

En route to help with the search include:

• The US Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous, home-ported in New Jersey
• A US Air Force C-130 aircraft from Georgia
• The 751-foot vessel AM Hamburg
• The 551-foot vessel Independent Accord